Landscapes of Postmodernity: Changes in the Built Fabric of Belgrade and Sofia Since the End of Socialism
- 1 November 2008
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Urban Geography
- Vol. 29 (8), 785-810
- https://doi.org/10.2747/0272-3638.29.8.785
Abstract
In this article, I discuss recent physical changes in the built fabric of the Serbian capital of Belgrade and the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. I apply two bodies of literature, involving postsocialist urban transitions and postmodern urban transitions. I present empirical observations on changes in building functions, scales, and styles in both cities. I show that certain general common traits prevail in the evolution of urban forms in both Belgrade and Sofia, but I also argue that the contrasting social and cultural experiences of Serbia and Bulgaria during socialism and postsocialism produced some locally specific results. I further suggest that post-socialist cities represent textbook examples of urban postmodernization, much as socialist cities epitomized the essential legacy of modernist urbanity.Keywords
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